In this paper, we argue that an important function fulfilled by intermediaries is to facilitate trust by enabling social pressure towards the enforcement of informal agreements. To that end, we develop a new model that uses network theory to show that intermediaries who have exclusivity over a...

This paper studies the phenomenon of early hiring in entry-level labor markets (e.g. the market for gastroenterology fellowships and the market for judicial clerks) in the presence of social networks. We offer a two-stage model in which workers in training institutions reveal information on...

Consider a large market with asymmetric information, in which sellers choose whether to cooperate or deviate and "cheat" their buyers, and buyers decide whether to re-purchase from different sellers. We model active trade relationships as links in a buyer-seller network and suggest a framework...

Consider a large market with asymmetric information, in which sellers choose whether to cooperate or deviate and cheat their buyers, and buyers decide whether to re-purchase from different sellers. We model active trade relationships as links in a buyer-seller network and suggest a framework for...

The business model of companies such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, relies on monetizing the information on the interactions and influences of their users. How valuable is such information, and is its use beneficial or detrimental for consumer welfare? We study these questions in a model...

The business model of companies such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, relies on monetizing the information on the interactions and influences of their users. How valuable is such information, and is its use beneficial or detrimental for consumer welfare? We study these questions in a model...

This paper studies the practice of influencer marketing in oligopoly markets and its effect on market efficiency. We develop a duopoly model in which firms sell horizontally differentiated products. Consumers are influenced by other consumers' choices, and some consumers are more influential...

We study the incentives of a digital business to collect and protect users' information. The information the business collects improves the service it provides to consumers, but it may also be accessed, at a cost, by strategic third parties in a way that harms users, imposing privacy costs. We...